Particle blending apparatus



Jan. 5, 1965 J. L. HAGER PARTICLE BLENDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 7, 1962 FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

JOHN L. HAGER fl- ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1965 J. L. HAGER PARTICLE BLENDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1962 INVENTOR.

JOHN L. HAGER ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1965 J. L. HAGER 3,164,378

PARTICLE BLENDING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 7. 1962 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

FIG. 6

INVENTOR. JOHN L. HAGER ATTQRNEZ United States Patent Ofifice 3,164,378 Patented Jan. 5., 1965 3,164,378 PARTIQLE BLENDING APPARATUS John L. Hagar, Buffalo, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Liberty National Bank and Trust Company, Buffalo, N.Y., a national banking association Filed Aug. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 215,349

9 Claims. (Cl. 259-789) V This invention relates to apparatus for mixing or blending solid particles with further solid articles or with gases.

It has long been recognized, that in order to properly blend or mix particles of dry materials, it is necessary that such particles be subjected to tumbling rather than mere shaking or indiscriminate turbulence. However, because of variations in size, shape, and weight, the particles being tumbled exhibit inherent separating tendencies which must be overcome in order to provide a uniform mixture of the particles. For instance, during the tumbling of a mass of solid particles, the round, smooth particles tend to seek the bottom of the tumbled mass, while the jagged or polyhedral ones seek the top. Moreover, as between particles of the same size, the heavier will seek the bottom of the tumbled mass; and as between particles of the same weight but different size, the small particles seek the bottom.

Heretofore it has been an established practice to employ drum tumblers or rolling barrels for producing a somewhat systematic mixing of the particles in dry materials. Moreover, in order to overcome the natural separating tendencies of the particles during the blending, it has been found advisable to employ baffles in the drums or barrels. These bafiles generally are of the solid-plane type, and are fixed to the inside walls of a rotatably mounted drum or container. The bafiies are adapted continuously to lift particles in the rotating drum from that point where the particles tend to collect in response to gravitational forces, and then to dump the particles so that they may fall or otherwise return toward said collecting point. Moreover, in certain contemporary blending apparatus such falling particles are directed in different directions to produce increased particle dispersion in the material, However, this added dispersion is rather nomirial since all of the material lifted by a respective baffle is generally moved thereby as a unit, i.e., there is no furthe;- particle separation afforded by the battle aside from its lifting and dumping a given quantity of material during each revolution of the container.

The conventional drum tumbler or rolling barrel leaves something to be desired therefore so far as intimate mixing or blending is concerned. In addition, conventional drums or barrels, particularly in the case of the large production sizes, have been very difficult to load and unload.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved blending drum.

An additional object of this invention is to provide an improved, rotatable, blending drum having spaced baffle plates which are arranged to provide optimum dispersion of the particles as the drum rotates.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rotatable blending drum having baffles constructed to filter particles through them in a plurality of divergent streams as the drum rotates.

One other object of this invention is to provide an improved blending drum having means for elevating and lowering the drum relative to the floor to ease the loading .and unloading of the drum.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a blending apparatus made in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view broken away in part and looking at the right hand side of FIG. 1, but with the blending drum rotated slightly in order more clearly to illustrate the device;

FIG. 3 is a part plan view, part section, of the blending drum, the viewbeing broken away to show in detail the baffles in the interior of the drum;

FIG. 4 is a view looking at the right hand side of FIG. 3, but illustrating the drum with its cover removed;

FIG. 5 is a part plan view, part section, showing on a slightly enlarged scale, a modified type of blending drum, the view being cut away in part to illustrate more clearly the baffles carried by this modified drum; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 in FIG. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring nowtothe drawings by numerals of reference, and first to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the blending unit comprises a base 12 defined by three channel irons 13, each of which is positioned on one of its sides, and that are secured together at right angles to one another to form a generally U shaped. frame. Rectangular skid plates 14;- are secured to the bottom of base 12 at each of its four corners. Secured to channels 13 at opposite sides of the U shaped frame 12, and adjacent the closed end of the frame, are two, aligned, vertically disposed channel irons 16 and 17. Bolted to the channel irons 16 and 17 at their upper, terminal ends are two bearing housings 18 and 19, respectively (FIGS. 1 and 2). The bearings in. housings 18 and 19 have axially aligned bores in each of which is rotatably mounted a pivot pin 21. Pivot pins 21 are coaxial and extend from their bearing housings 18 and 19 outwardly beyond the vertical supports 16 and 17. They are secured to and pivotally support two parallel elongate channels or drum carrying arms 22 and 23, respectively. Arms 22 and 23 are thus mounted by pins 21 on opposite sides, respectively, of base 12.

Intermediate their ends, each of the arms 22 and 23 is connected to base 12 by a telescoping support designated generally at 25. Each support 25 comprises a cylinder 26, a piston 27 reciprocable therein, and a piston rod 28 secured to the piston and projecting upwardly above the associated cylinder. Each cylinder is connected at its lower end by a pin 29 to a bearing plate 31 that is secured by angle plates 32 to one of the channel irons 13. Each piston rod 28 is connected at its upper end, by a pin 36 to a plate 38 which is secured to the bottom of a respective arm 22 or 23.

An elongate, rectangular plate 52 is fixed upon the rear ends of arms 22 and 23. Secured on plate 52 at one end thereof by bolts 53 is the gear box 54 of a conventional gear reduction unit which is driven by a motor 5'5. The output shaft 56 of the unit projects outwardly beyond and above arm 22 and has a sprocket 57 secured thereto.

Arms 22 and 23, at their forward ends have identical slots 5% extending axially, rearwardly from said ends for a slight distance. A drum 69 is rotatably mounted between the forward ends of arms 22 and 23 by means of trunnions 61 and 62 (FIGS. 1 and 3) which are secured to the drum 6% and pass through the slots 59 in said arms. The trunnions rotate in the aligned bearings 63 secured to the exterior faces of the arms 22 and 23, respectively. Trunnion 61 extends slightly beyond the outer surface of its bearing 63 and has a sprocket 64 secured thereto by means of a key or the like. Sprocket 64 is driven by a chain 65 from the sprocket 57 thereby to revolve the drum. A conventional switch may be mounted at a convenient spot on the apparatus to selectively start and stop motor 55.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the drum 68 has a base portion 71 that is cylindrical and an upper portion 72 that is conical. Base portion 71 is closed at its bottom end by an integral, transverse wall 73.

Conical portion 72 is preferably made in two parts 74 and 75. Part 74 is secured to the part 71 by welding or in any other suitable manner. Parts 74 and 75 have opposed annular flanges and are removably connected together by conventional stud and wing nut combinations 78. The bolts pass through holes 77 in the flange of the part 74. A gasket 79 is interposed between the confronting flanges of the parts 74 and 75. The upper end of truncated conical section 75 is closed by a conventional iris, flow control valve 81 through which flow of particles out of the drum 68. may be controlled. Valve 81 may be operated normally in conventional manner by handle 82.

Secured within the drum by welding or otherwise to the inner face of the drum bottom 73 is a hollow sheet metal cone 85. The base of cone 85 has a diameter equal to approximately one half the diameter of end wall 73. Cone 85 extends into drum 60 for a distance slightly greater than the height of section 71 so that its apex or vertex 86 lies just inside the space enclosed by the conical portion 74.

Also mounted in the bottom portion of drum 60 are four, perforated, sheet metal bafiies 91, '92, 93 and 94. The battles lie in planes axial of cone 85; and alternate bafiies 91 and 93, and 92 and 94, respectively, are coplanar. Each of the baflies 91 to 94 has a slanting or inclined inner edge coextensive with and is welded at such edge to the external face of cone 85; the outer edge of each baifle is coextensive with and welded to the inner face of annular wall 71. The bottom edge of each batfle is correspondingly welded to the drum bottom 73. The baflies divide the lower part of the drum 60 into two large compartments or bins 95 and 96 (FIG. 4), which extend through approximately 140, and which are separated by two small intervening compartments or bins 97 and 98 which extend through approximately 40. The axis of trunnions 61 and 62 preferably bisects the smaller compartments 97 and 98.

Each of the baffles 91 to 94 is provided with a plu-v rality of spaced, elongate, holes or apertures 100 extending through it. Holes 100 are approximately twice as long as they are wide, and extend parallel to the bottom wall 73 of the drum. Each row is staggered relative to the adjacent row or rows.

The outer and inner edges of each baflie are also slotted or notched to provide elongate openings 101 and 103, respectively (FIG. 3), between the bins or compartments. Openings 101 extend in the direction of wall 71. Openings 103 extend in the direction of the cone surface of cone 85. Positioned centrally in the lower edge of each of the baffles, and bounded on one side by the drum bottom 73 are other communicating slots 102. The corners of the baflies at their lower edges are removed to define still further communicating openings 104 which flank the openings 102. Holes 101, 102, 103, 104 are all larger than slots 100.

For loading the mixer, the drum can be positioned as shown in FIG. 1. When the valve 81 is opened the mixer can then easily be filled from floor level. To empty the drum, after a mixing operation has been completed, the arms 22 are preferably raised by operation of the hydraulically-actuated pistons and the drum is turned so that valve 81 faces the floor. When the valve 81 is opened, then, the mixer can readily be unloaded without resorting to costly special fits. The hydraulically actuated elevating mechanism rocks the arms 22 and 23 upwardly about the pivots 21; and the drum can be rocked manually or by power on the trunnions 61 and 62 to turn it upside down; For actuating pistons 27 upwardly a conventional hydraulic power unit, such as designated as a whole at 49 in FIG. 1, may be employed. This power unit includes a motor 41 which operates a pump 42 connected to a sump or reservoir 43. The direction of flow of the hydraulic motive fluid to cylinders 26 is controlled by a conventional valve 45. Valve 45 is connected by tubing 46 with the lower ends of cylinders 26. It is connected by tubing 47 with the upper ends of the cylinders. It is connected with the sump by supply and exhaust ducts 48 and 49, respectively. In one position of the valve the lower end of cylinder 26 is put on supply and its upper end is put on exhaust to raise arms 22 and 23 and the drum. When the drum is in operation, the valve is positioned so that the upper end of the cylinder is on supply and the lower end is on exhaust so that the drum is held in lowered position shown in FIG. 1.

To load the drum it is moved to its lower position (FIG. 1). The cover 82 and, if desired, the upper section 75, are then opened or removed and the materials to be blended are placed in the drum. Thereafter the cover is replaced and motor 55 is energized to rotate the drum slowly end over end about the axis of the trunnions 61 and 62.

As the drum revolves say clockwise from the position shown in FIG. l, the material in the drum is first spread along one side of the drum, some of it passing through the perforations in the screens or baffles; then it is dumped from the compartments or bins 95, 96, 97, 98 into the conical end of the drum, some of the particles passing, of course, again through the perforations in the baffles or screens, and it is collected in the front end of the drum; then, as the drum continues to revolve the material is spread horizontally along the opposite side of the drum from that along which it was first spread; and as it revolves further the material passes first in one direction and then in the other through the perforations in the screens, thereby being mixed.

In addition to causing the particles generally to flow in different directions upon passing through the screens, further particle dispersion and mixing are produced be cause the rows of holes in the screens are staggered relative to one another. Material which does not fall through the holes in one row of holes 100, will fall or pass through the next successive row of holes as drum 60 continues its rotation. The staggering of holes 100 thus eliminates surface areas on the screens upon which particles might otherwise build up or collect. When the material has been blended to the desired degree, the valve 45 is moved to elevate drum 60 a sufficient distance above the floor or frame 12 to permit the insertion of a portable receptacle or the like beneath iris valve 81; and the drum is inverted to permit the material to flow out of the opened iris valve 81.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 an alternative type of drum is illustrated at 160. It has a cylindrical wall portion 161, which has an outwardly directed annular flange 162 at its lower end, and which at its opposite end wall is secured to the large end of a frusto-conically shaped wall portion 163. Wall portion 163 terminates at the top of the drum in an outwardly directed ring flange 164. Secured to flange 164 by means of screws or the like is an iris, flow control valve 166, which is manipulable by handle 165. A diskshaped plate 167 is secured by conventional nut and bolt combinations 168 to the annular flange 162 to provide a removable bottom for drum 160. A rubber O-ring 169 is positioned between flange 162 and plate 167 to more eflectively seal off the bottom of annual wall 161. As in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, trunnions 158 and 159 are secured at diametrally opposite points on the drum periphery so that it may be mounted for end over end rotation.

Secured by welding or the like to the inner face of plate 167 is the large end of a frusto-conically shaped blending screen 171. Screen 171 at its large end has a.

diameter which is equal to approximately one-half the diameter of wall 161, and extends into the .drum for a distance equal to approximately one-fifth the height of the drum. At its upper, or small end, cone 171 has a diameter equal to approximately one-third the diameter of wall 161. A similarly shaped but larger screen cone 172 is placed over cone 171, in spaced concentric relation relative thereto, and has its large end secured to the inside face of the drum bottom 167. Compartments are thus formed in the bottom of drum 160 within cone 171, and between the walls of the cones and between the outer cone 172 and the wall 161 of the drum,

Each of the screen cones 171 and 172 have a plurality of spaced perforations or holes 173 therethrough, each of said holes being approximately twice as long as they are wide. In each of the cones'171 and 172 the holes 173 are arranged in parallel columns extending from the top to the bottom of a respective cone, the holes in each column being spaced from one another and being positioned with their longer sides extending in the direction of their respective columns. In each of the screen cones 171 and 172 the columns of holes 173 are staggered relative to one another.

The drum 160 is loaded after removing the bottom 167. After the bottom has been replaced, the drum may be rotated so that particles will filter inwardly from the outside of cone 172 to the interior of cone 171 through the holes 173, and some will filter out from the center of cone 171 to the exterior of cone 172. Particles which thus pass completely through sleeves 172 and 171 are first directed radially outwardly of the drum center by the exterior surfaces of the cones, and then are directed radially inwardly by the inner surfaces of the cones.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that applicants blender eliminates many problems of loading and unloading by providing, as part of the unit, a safe, and simple elevating mechanism which permits the blender head or drum to be operated close to the floor or base to afiord greater stability; and to be elevated to a point above the floor or base to expedite its unloading. Moreover, through the use of baflies or screens having staggered rows of elongate perforations, the particles passing through the screen or screens are positively separated into a multitude of separate streams, thereby providing greater dispersion of particles during the blending operation. Also, the perforated screens employed in this invention are positioned in a respective blending head or drum in such manner that the particles engaged thereby are not only lifted and tumbled in a vertical plane, but at the same time are subjected to transportation or movement in divergent directions. The sizes of the apertures in the screens may, of course, be varied depending upon the nature of the particles to be blended. The baffies have no projections, thus permitting all particles to flow freely from the drum upon its being emptied through its iris flow control valve.

The gear motor may be selected to permit operation of the blender drum at a desired speed.

My mixer greatly increases the speed of mixing and blending dry solids over conventional mixers. Because of the gentle dispersing action and of the shorter time required to effect mixing and blending, moreover, the mixer of the present invention avoids any tendency to particlebreakdown, thus preserving uniformity of particle size where this is a critical requirement. It can also blend particles of dilferent weights without regard to differing specific gravities. The screens provide, in effect, thousands of slots for an infinite number of flow patterns with each revolution of the drum, so that the mixer performs the basic mixing and blending operations, spreading and collecting as it revolves gently on its trunnions.

While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptions of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Apparatus for blending particulate materials, comprising (a) a rotatable container for holding said materials,

(12) a plurality of spaced bafiles secured in said container,

(c) said bafiles comprising a plurality of perforated plates secured in said container adjacent one end thereof, and extending inwardly from the sides of said container in planes which interse t one another along a line transverse to the axis of rotation f aid container,

(d) each of said bafiles having a plurality of parallel rows of spaced apertures therein, the apertures in any one row being offset in the direction of the row relative to the apertures in the adjacent rows,

(e) said bafiles being positioned in said container so that at least a portion of the particles of the material pass successively through apertures in at least two of said spaced bafi les,

(f) a cone-shaped element secured at its base to said container at said one end thereof, and extending at its opposite end into said container centrally thereof and into engagement with the edges of said plates remote from the sides of said container,

(g) means for rotating said container end over end.

2. Apparatus for blending particulate materials comprising (a) a container for siad materials,

(12) a cone-shaped element secured at its base to one end of said container and extending into said container centrally thereof,

(0) a plurality of perforated baffle plates each of which is secured in said container with one edge abutting the outer surface of said element, said plates extending radially outwardly from said element to the inner face of said container in planes angularly spaced about the axis of said element, and

(d) means for rotating said container end over end.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein (a) said baffle plates are positioned relative to one another so as to define two, equal and opposite acute angles, and two equal and opposite obtuse angles, respectively, about the axis of said element, and

(b) said container is rotatably supported on trunnions 311086 axis bisects said acute angles defined by said p ates.

4. Apparatus for blending particulate materials, comprising (a) a base,

(b) a pair of arms,

(c) a container mounted for end over end rotation between said arms adjacent one end thereof, and adapted to hold the materials to be blended,

(d) means mounting said arms adajacent the opposite ends thereof on said base to pivot about an axis spaced above said base,

(e) telescopic members connected to said base and to at least one of said arms and operable to pivot said arms about said axis thereby to move said container toward and away from said base,

(1) drive means to rotate said container between said arms, and

(g) a plurality of bafiles in said container operative to blend particles in said container upon its rotation.

5. Apparatus for blending particulate materials, comprising (a) a hollow drum,

(b). means for closing the two ends of said drum,

(c) a conical member secured at its base to one end of said drum and extending into said drum for less than the full height of said drum,

(d) a plurality of perforated plates secured at their a radially outer edges to the inside of the outside wall of said drum and secured at their radially inner edges to the outside of said conical member, and

(e) means for rotating said drum about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said conical member.

6. Appar-atus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the perforations in said plates are longer than they are wide.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the perforations in said plates are arranged in a plurality of parallel rows, and the perforations in one row are staggered with reference to the perforations in adjacent rows.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said perforations are approximately twice as long as they are wide.

9. Apparatus for blending particulate materials, comprising (a) a hollow drum which is cylindrical for a portion of its height and of truncated conical shape for the remainder of its height, the base of the truncated conical portion adjoining said cylindrical portion and being of the same diameter as said cylindrical portion,

(b) means for closing the two ends of the drum,

() a conical member secured at its base to the means for closing the cylindrical end of the drum,

(d) and a plurality of perforated screens, each of which is secured along its outer edge to the inside of the cylindrical portion of the drum and each of which is secured along its inner edge to said conical member,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ecaubert Dec. 19, Moussette Mar. 31, Weinrich Dec. 15 MacLellan Nov. 29, Evans June 30, Rice May 9, Bolt Dec. 3,

FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Aug. 28, Germany Sept. 27, France May 3, 

1. APPARATUS FOR BLENDING PARTICULATE MATERIALS, COMPRISING (A) A ROTATABLE CONTAINER FOR HOLDING SAID MATERIALS, (B) A PLURALITY OF SPACED BAFFLES SECURED IN SAID CONTAINER, (C) SAID BAFFLES COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PERFORATED PLATES SECURED IN SAID CONTAINER ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, AND EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE SIDES OF SAID CONTAINER IN PLANES WHICH INTERSECT ONE ANOTHER ALONG A LINE TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID CONTAINER, (D) EACH OF SAID BAFFLES HAVING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL ROWS OF SPACED APERTURES THEREIN, THE APERTURES IN ANY ONE ROW BEING OFFSET IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ROW RELATIVE TO THE APERTURES IN THE ADJACENT ROWS, (E) SAID BAFFLES BEING POSITIONED IN SAID CONTAINER SO THAT AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE PARTICLES OF THE MATERIAL PASS SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH APERTURE S IN AT LEAST TWO OF SAID SPACED BAFFLES, (F) A CONE-SHAPED ELEMENT SECURED AT ITS BASE TO SAID CONTAINER AT SAID ONE END THEREOF, AND EXTENDING AT ITS OPPOSITE END INTO SAID CONTAINER CENTRALLY THEREOF AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID PLATES REMOTE FROM THE SIDES OF SAID CONTAINER, (G) MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CONTAINER END OVER END. 